Four commuters, including a GRP constable, died and six were injured after falling off a moving and overcrowded local train in Maharashtra's Thane district during the office rush hour on Monday morning, officials said. Pics/Shadab Khan and Nimesh Dave

The incident occurred near Mumbra railway station when the trains were passing each other on a steep turn

Chief Public Relations Officer of the Central Railway, Swapnil Nila, said the victims were travelling on the footboard of the two trains, one travelling towards Kasara and another travelling towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai

The commuters were hanging from the doors of the crowded trains and their backpacks brushed against each other as the trains passed in opposite directions, officials said

The guard of a train going towards Kasara alerted the railway authorities about the incident. Those who fell off the trains were rushed to nearby hospitals, where four were declared dead on arrival, they said

The Railway Ministry has decided to have automatic door closing facilities in coaches of all existing and new local trains for Mumbai Suburban, a senior official said

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Mumbai local train tragedy at Mumbra station in Thane district of Maharashtra on Monday, the Indian Railways has decided to take a major step toward enhancing safety and comfort on Mumbai’s non-AC suburban local trains

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with senior officials from the Railway Board, held an emergency meeting with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) team in Chennai to address a long-standing issue -- ventilation in non-AC local trains with automatic doors

The purpose was to find a practical solution to the issue of automatic door closing in local non AC trains in Mumbai. The major issue with automatic door closing in non AC trains is suffocation because of reduced ventilation

The first train of this new design will be ready by November 2025.  After necessary tests and certification, it will be put into service by January 2026